Circulate only mode

Can the ANOVA be made to circulate only… I’d like to use it to speed thawing and chilling, but can’t figure out how to circulate with no heat. If it can’t do this, could this feature be added via software update or via the app?
Thanks in advance.

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Just set the “cook” temp to some value way below that of the actual water temp, then start the unit. The impeller pump will come on and circulate, but the heater never will because the Anova sees the water as being too hot and above the set temp.

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I’m pretty sure it doesn’t work that way, but I’ll try it again.

I’m pretty sure it absolutely does work that way, since I do it all the time.

FWIW - I’m running a BT unit. I set the temp to around 34F with the dial and push the start button on the face of the unit. Works every time.

Are you trying to do this through the app?

If you’re using it that way, I must have done something wrong…I thought I remember that I couldn’t set the temp below 70*. I’m also running the Bluetooth model.
I’m a big fan of using Alton Brown’s method is thawing (put item in container and fill with water and continue with a slow drip of water to speed thawing). And thought I could use this without having to have a container block my sink. But I thought I remembered setting up 2 bottles of wine to chill in an ice water bath with the ANOVA, but, I couldn’t get the unit to stay running without heating. I can’t wait to try it again.
ANOVA, if you’re listening, you are missing out by not marketing this feature. :slight_smile:

My base unit is the version 1.0 US model with bluetooth only. Maybe there is a different version of firmware on yours? Or, if you are using the app, possibly it’s not allowing it to go that low. That’s all I can think of that might change how it behaves.

I suppose that if you are running the app, then you could just try turning off the BT at the anova and use the dial to set the temp and see how low it goes / holds.

You said you tried using it as a circulator for an ice bath to chill wine, I’ve never used it for that, so I don’t know how it will behave in that situation, maybe it has some programming that kicks the heater on when it sees freezing temps?

Maybe @HunterC can ask someone in the development department and they can shed some light on why your Anova is behaving differently.

Funny you mention Alton Brown’s thawing method and not blocking up your sink with a container, that’s the main reason, along with the drought, that I stopped using that method to thaw frozen vacuum sealed bags. For a while there, before it dawned on me to use the Anova, I was using a spare fish tank air pump with a hose that went to the bottom of the water vessel, directly under the food, and the air bubbles would create enough water movement to speed things up.

As for chilling wine bottles in a hurry, this is pretty comical to see in action, but it actually works. Supposedly works with wine bottles too, I’ve only seen it done with beer though. Not something I would buy, but kind of neat.

Theoretically, ice and water can co-exist at 32°F. So setting the wheel on the PC to 32°F (the lowest setting on the PC dial) should allow it to circulate water without heating it, at 32°F

One trick for quicker cooling, however, is to add salt to ice water. This lowers the freezing temperature of water below 32°F (think old style ice cream freezer).

So the original question is still unanswered. Can the heater temporarily be disabled for chilling? Additionally, would short term exposure to a saline solution (rinse after use) damage the PC?

Alternatively, if Anova has units with defective heaters, would they consider selling them only for use as chiller/circulators? Or just sell stripped down units (no heater, electronics, or displays… Just the impeller)?

I think ACS answered. I just need to test that it works like that (I don’t recall that being the case). But if you can just spin theb temp down to 0* then the heater should never come on. I know I set it up in an ice water bath and I could not get it to circulate to do what I wanted. I just can’t recall exactly how it reacts. Even if it didn’t work, I would think it could be easily changed with a firmware update.
I would think a saline solution would be fine as long as it was rinsed thoroughly after.
Regarding your 32* comment, I remember taking the lesson of being about to see the other side’s point of view in a 9th grade science class…“32* is not only the freezing point of water, 32* is also the melting point of ice.”
I’ll post my results when I try it again.

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